The use of parabolic reflector satellite antenna systems are well known and well documented.
In many electronic applications, an antenna in the form of a dish is employed to transmit energy toward a distant position or to receive energy from a distant position.
Many systems are established for use at a fixed location that is, the location of the antenna does not change. With such stationary systems, the parabolic reflector portion of the antenna remains substantially always in an open, fixed operating position with provision being made for manually or remotely controlling the movement of the arc of the dish through two planes of operation in order to "aim" the dish at a particular satellite.
A more difficult problem exists in providing satellite antenna systems for mobile use as such systems need to be portable, collapsible and compact for storage while in transport, yet readily usable with a minimum amount of assembly required on site. Also, special mounting problems must be addressed with attention being given to means to anchor the mounting device to a surface, as wind and balancing become a problem. Also, "aiming" the dish presents a special problem.
Most of the systems taught present a dish that has a number of ribs, which have attached to them, material such as mesh or pre-formed structures which collapses such at U.S. Pat. No. #3,217,328 which is a wire mesh that furls and unfurls around a central structure or the device of patent U.S. Pat. No. #3,631,5005 which has ribs, interconnecting in a scissors like pattern, extending from a center hub, or the antenna taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. #4,608571 and #4,683,475 which is a complicated arrangement which includes a pre-formed dish reflector of pliable material supported by a radial framework of spokes pivotable by a lever system between a folded axial position and a deployed radial position, similar to a spoked umbrella.